Garment warming structure



Oct. 20, 1964 O. G. PETRONIO ETAL GARMENT WARMING STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 11. 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I! i 2 1 2 r g I m;

F'GQB. INVENTOR Omero G. Petronio a Nemorino Angeli BY W434 ATTORNEY Oct. 20, 1964 O. G. PETRONIO ETAL GARMENT WARMING STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 11, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG .9.

INVENTOR Omero G. Petronio a Nemorino Angeli ATTORNEY United States Patent Filed Sept. 11, 1961, Ser. No. 137,118 Claims. (Cl. 219211) This invention relates to novel wearing apparel structures and more particularly to an undergarment construction utilizing the calorific content of the human respiratory system to provide heat externally of the human body in addition to the body warmth retained by the undergarment in the conventional manner.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice of the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings referred to herein and constituting a part hereto, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the undergarment embodying the instant invention and shown substantially enveloping the neck, torso, arms and legs of a human being;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the undergarment in fragmentary cut-away section illustrating the manifold conduit, heater means and branch conduits;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the undergarment according to the present invention showing the collar portion removed therefrom;

FIG. 4 is perspective View of the upper portion of the instant undergarment showing the removable collar portion in operative position;

FIG. 5 is an inside perspective view of the collar portion in detached open condition, the heater means and mouthpiece being positioned therein;

FIG. 6 is a side View sectional elevation of the collar portion showing the heater means and mouthpiece, the latter being positioned within themouth of the wearer;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation view of the heater means shown in cross-section and attached to a segment of the collar portion;

FIG. 8 is a front elevation view of the heater means illustrating the press-fit connection of the heater tube and the branch conduit; and

FIG. 9 is a side elevation view of a typical attachment of conduit to undergarment taken in section along line 99 of FIG. 2.

The present invention is directed to providing improvements in undergarments, particularly with respect to the usefulness thereof in protecting the wearer against the discomfort and dangers attendant in cold environments.

One object of the invention is to provide novel means enhancing the protective effectiveness of lightweight undergarments required in cold environments thereby minimizing the need for bulky outer-clothing.

Another object of the instant invention is the provision of means whereby the heat energy carried by the breath exhaled during the normal human expiration process may be utilized to warm parts of the body enveloped by an under-garment.

3,153,720 Patented Oct. 20, 1964 Still another object of the present invention is to provide an undergarment having means whereby the calorific content of the human breath may be educted to the extremities of the body, supplemental heating means being provided to further increase the heat content of the circulated gases.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby conventional type undergarments may be modified to incorporate a conduit network capable of conveying exhaled breath to the torso, arm-enclosing and legenclosing portions of said undergarment thereby supplementing the thermal insulating quality of the undergarment with a source of heat originating internally of the body of the wearer.

Another object of the instant invention is the provision of a heated body enveloping undergarment to promote sustained bodily comfort by maintaining thermal equilibrium in the body wtihin the range corresponding to comfortable mean skin temperature.

It will be understood that the foregoing general objectives and the following detailed description as well are exemplary and explanatory but are not restrictive of the invention.

Referring now in detail to the present preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, FIGURE 1 shows the body-enveloping undergarment designated generally by numeral it? operatively donned by a wearer. As observed in FIGURE 2, the novel undergarmcnt according to this invention comprises integrally united collar 12, neck 14, torso in, arms 18, 2t and leg-enclosing portions 22, 24 of flexible material, such as wool, cotton, synthetic fibers, etc., which portions are adapted to snugly envelop the wearers body.

The torso-enclosing portion 16 as shown inFIGURES 1, 3 and 4 is divided longitudinally from the neck portion 14 to the lower region 26 of the torso-enclosing portion at the front of the undergarment. Margins 23 and 3t provided along the longitudinal divide in the torsoenclosing portion 16 may be fastened by snaps, button fasteners or other suitable separable fastener means 32 for the purpose of closing the margins after the wearer has donned the undergarment. The arm-enclosing portions 18, 2t) and the leg-enclosing portions 22, 24 terminate in open ends which are elastically positionable at the region of the wrists and ankles, theseregions being resignated 34, 36 and 3t 40 respectively.

The invention provides conduit means, designated generally by numeral 50, of impervious flexible material within the various garment portions 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, and 24, for educting a flow of respiratory fluid comprising the gaseous breath exhalation occurring as a result 0 the normal expiratory process.

The conduit means 50 includes a manifold conduit 42 extending longitudinally within the collar and torso-enclosing portions and terminating at the upper end 44 with mouthpiece 46, said mouthpiece being substantially rightangled with respect to the said manifold conduit. Branch 62 helically coiled around a portion of said glass tubing, a portable power source, as for example batteries D, D, said batteries being connected either in series or in parallel circuitry as shown, said resistance wire being connected within said circuit at 64- and as, switching means 63 being provided as illustrated in FIGURE 7 to complete or interrupt the circuit between contact points 63 and 64 thus energizing or de-energizing electrical resistance wire 62, said switching means having extension member 7%? arranged to project through collar 12 thereby facilitating manual control of the heater means. Removal of the heater means from the manifold conduit is readily accomplished by virtue of the removable press-fit connection of the said glass tube and the impervious flexible conduit material at 44 and 54. Further provision with respect to the removal of the said heater means from the undergarment will be understood from the detailed disclosure hereinbelow following.

With reference to FIGURE of the drawings it will be appreciated that collar portion 12 is detachable from the neck portion 14 of the undergarment TUE), said collar portion being removably adapted to said neck portion by conventional button fasteners or other suitable separable fastener means 72. Collar portion 12 may be further reduced from the continuous annular operative position as shown in FIGURE 4 to the completely open inoperative position shown in said FIGURE 5. Snap fasteners, button fasteners or any other suitable separable fastener means 74 are provided to removably retain the said collar portion in the said annular operative position. Aforedescribed heater means 56 is removably positioned within collar 12 and removably attached therein according to the detail disclosure of FIGURE 7 of the drawings wherein flexible material flaps '76 and 78 attached to the inside of said collar 12 and stitched at 8t, 82 thereto respectively, are removably fastened by snaps 84 to encompass and retain said heater means 5'6 within the folds thereof.

Means for retaining conduit means 5t within the said portions of the undergarment hereindisclosed are provided at regions generally adjacent vent orifices 86 as shown in expanded detail in FIGURE 9 of the drawings. Projections 88 having flanged shoulder portions 9% may be integrally molded with flexible impervious conduit means 50, said flanged shoulder portions being connected at said regions to the said portions of the undergarment by stitched overlap material 92 arranged to hold said conduit means firmly against the undergarment inner wall.

Coiled wire elements 94 are provided at the arm, elbow and knee regions of the garment where extensive bending and flexure occur for reinforcement purposes and to facili tate uninterrupted flow of respiratory fluid along the conduit means. To that end, the coiled wire elements 94, prevent substantial diminution in the quantity of flow through the conduit means despite pressure of the wearers body against the conduit means and despite extensive fiexure and bending at the aforesaid regions of the garment.

Thus it will be observed that consonant with the foregoing objects and detailed description, the heated garment structure according to the present invention enables utilization of a light weight undergarment in extremely low temperature environments to thereby facilitate the movements of the wearer, e.g., skier, soldier, explorer, etc., under unendurable conditions but for bulky, uncomfortable and weighty clothing otherwise required. Using the undergarment disclosed herein, the wearer need only exhale the normal gaseous products of respiration into the mouthpiece provided, the flexible conduit means educting these warm gaseous products to the heat requiring extremities of the body. The ancillary heater means provided, being adapted to supplement the insulating properties of the undergarment and the normal calorific content of the exhaled breath, adds heat to the gases flowing through the said heater means thereby enhancing the undergarment function under abnormally diflicult environmental conditions.

Both the structural and operational characteristics of the invention having been described, it will be understood that the garment structure according to the invention may be adapted to outergarments, blankets, and the like used for the protection of human beings from the discomfort and hazards of the elements.

Changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of parts from that disclosed herein without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the attendant advantages thereof, provided, however, that such changes fall within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

l. A body-enveloping undergarment, comprising flexible material providing collar, neck, torso, arm and legenclosing garment portions terminating in snugly fitting open ends positionable at the regions of the wrists and the ankles of the wearer, a manifold conduit of impervious material having an upper and a lower end, said manifold conduit extending longitudinally of said collar, neck and torso-enclosing portion, a mouthpiece formed at the terminal end of said upper end of said manifold conduit, heater means interposed intermediate the said mouthpiece and said lower end of said manifold conduit, said heater means being comprised of a housing, heat resistant tubing disposed transversely of said housing, electrical resistance wire coiled around a portion of said tubing, a portable power supply to energize said resistance wire, and switching means connecting said power supply to said resistance wire, a plurality of branch conduits of flexible impervious material connected to the lower end of said manifold conduit, said branch conduits including at least one conduit extending within each arm-enclosing and leg enclosing portions to substantially said snugly fitting open end thereof, said branch conduits being fastened to said garment portions, and a plurality of vent orifices within said branch conduits, said vent orifices being in communicative relation with respect to said upper end of said manifold conduit.

2. A body-enveloping undergarment comprised of flexible material providing collar, neck, torso, arm and legenclosing garment portions terminating in snugly fitting open ends positionable at the regions of the wrists and the ankles of the wearer, said collar portion being removably connected to the said neck portion, a manifold conduit of impervious material having an upper and a lower end, said manifold conduit extending longitudinally of said collar and neck portion, an open-ended mouthpiece at the upper end of said manifold conduit, heater means interposed intermediate the said upper and lower end of said manifold conduit, said heater means being removably connected to said collar portion, a plurality of branch conduits of flexible impervious material connected to the lower end of said manifold conduit, said branch conduits extending within portions of said body-enveloping undergarment, a plurality of vent orifices within said branch conduits, said vent orifices being in communicative relation with respect to the said open-ended mouthpiece.

3. A body-enveloping undergarment comprised of flexible material providing collar, neck, torso, arm and legenclosing garment portions terminating in snugly fitting open ends positionable at the regions of the wrists and the ankles of the wearer, said collar portion being removably adapted to the neck portion, a manifold conduit of impervious material having an upper and a lower end, a mouthpiece formed at the terminal end of said upper end of said manifold conduit, heater means interposed intermediate said mouthpiece and said lower end of said manifold conduit, said mouthpiece being removably connected to said heater means, said heater means being removably connected to said collar portion, a plurality of branch conduits of flexible impervious material connected to the lower end of said manifold conduit, said branch conduits extending within portions of said body-enveloping undergarment, a plurality of vent orifices within said branch conduits, said vent orifices being in communicative rela- References Cited in the file of this patent tion with respect to said mouthpiece. UNITED STATES PATENTS 4. A body-enveloping undergarment as set forth in F claim 3 wherein said heater means is comprised of a 2,239,712 Sweefland 1941 housing, heat resistant glass tubing disposed transversely 5 25127990 Akerman June 1950 of said housing, electrical resistance wire helically coiled 2,540,547 Rocplert 1951 around a portion of said glass tubing, a power source with- 2,617,915 Blalr 11, 1952 in said housing, said power source being removably con- 2,652,824 PP Sept- 22, 1953 nected to said electrical resistance wire, air exhaled into 2,657,396 Kleln et a1 3, 1953 said mouthpiece being educted through said glass tubing, 10 2,6923% f 19, 1954 heat generated by said electrical resistance wire being 2,718,535 P 1955 transferred to said air passing through said glass tubing 9 5 June 20, 1961 and therefrom to said lower end of said manifold con- 2,989,752 Sloane at June 1961 i 3,000,616 spangler Sept. 19, 1961 5. A body-enveloping undergarment as set forth in 15 FOREIGN PATENTS claim 3 wherein said mouthpiece is substantially right 746 650 Germany Aug 16 1944 angled of configuration. 

2. A BODY-ENVELOPING UNDERGARMENT COMPRISED OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL PROVIDING COLLAR, NECK, TORSO, ARM AND LEGENCLOSING GARMENT PORTIONS TERMINATING IN SNUGLY FITTING OPEN ENDS POSITIONABLE AT THE REGIONS OF THE WRISTS AND THE ANKLES OF THE WEARER, SAID COLLAR PORTION BEING REMOVABLY CONNECTED TO THE SAID NECK PORTION, A MANIFOLD CONDUIT OF IMPERVIOUS MATERIAL HAVING AN UPPER AND LOWER END, SAID MANIFOLD CONDUIT EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID COLLAR AND NECK PORTION, AN OPEN-ENDED MOUTHPIECE AT THE UPPER END OF SAID MANIFOLD CONDUIT, HEATER MEANS INTERPOSED INTERMEDIATE THE SAID UPPER AND LOWER END OF SAID MANIFOLD CONDUIT, SAID HEATER MEANS BEING REMOVABLY CONNECTED TO SAID COLLAR PORTION, A PLURALITY OF BRANCH CONDUITS OF FLEXIBLE IMPERVIOUS MATERIAL CONNECTED TO THE LOWER END OF SAID MANIFOLD CONDUIT, SAID BRANCH CONDUITS EXTENDING WITHIN PORTIONS OF SAID BODY-ENVELOPING UNDERGARMENT, A PLURALITY OF VENT ORIFICES WITHIN SAID BRANCH CONDUITS, SAID VENT ORIFICES BEING IN COMMUNICATIVE RELATION WITH RESPECT TO THE SAID OPEN-ENDED MOUTHPIECE. 